Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-02-19
aALIGHr PLEAsEF-


An Abominabie Habit Diseussed-Rsaso.is
Why 3 Man Should Not Loan HIS Lighted
Cigar.
A placid and callOW-looking young
man, who wore a silk hat, a fur trimmed
coat, Light OYergaiters and patent leather
shoes, Gipped nimbly up to a Well-fed
man seated In the Lindeu hotel lobby
yesterday and raised mutilated ''anipe''
to his lips with "a light, If you please %
The Well-fed man continued to work his
halt-smOked cigar while he made a care
full search Of seven Of his pockets for a
match. The placid, half breed dude
kept an uneasy gaze at the burning
cigar. Two minutes passed in that way,
and the well-fed man was tired. and he
showed 1t.
81 haven't a match, but you can prob
ably get a light at the cigar stand, y said
he, rising to point out to the young
man an alcohol blaze not ten steps
away.
Beg y'r pawdOn," gasped the callow
! one, while q flush of indignation chased
over his face.
The well-fed man resumed his seat
and pulled away serenely at his cigar.
There seemed to be nothing new to him
IN the occurrence, but it was not com
mon, and those about recognized it as
rare instance Of courage. and it was the
theme for the next half hours chat
"Ihat was right" observed the first
to speak, and, it is a little innovation Of
the popular custom, it Is a cOmmon-sense
act, ] always carry matches for the
benefit Of my friends, as well as for my
self, that L may be able to smoke my
Own cigar, but If L chance to be caught
without match never have the cour-
age to refuse to turn over my cigar when
asked for a eight I consider It imper-
thence to ask man for a light of his
cigar, but custom has established that
imPertinence so firmly you are criticised
If you attempt to inaugurate a new era
for smokers"
1T is an old, weather-beaten and fool
ish idea that courtesy makes It necessary
to let every stranger, without considera-
ton Of his occupation, handle your
cigar" offered a gentleman ON the other
side OF the wel-fed man. "If L am
smoking a cigar and it is half or three
quarters burned, am not going to let a
stranger handle ii and then return it to
my mouth. a gentleman who thinks
before he acts would not expect me TO,
and when I happen to be without a
match and 1 do not feel flush enough to
buy another cigar, I politely inform the
man that 1 am without a match. 1t is
only occasionally that you run upon
man who Is so rude as to ask You why
you don't give him your cigar"
But, if he shOuld?"
''Well, IN that case my explanation is
adapted to the length Of time L have to
spend with the person. There are a
thousand and one objections Co the
practice"
at was only yesterday" interrupted
an attentive listener, SHAT 1 saw a ply
stefan stop cutting the diseased flesh of
a patient and light a Gig ar. Three min
utes later a man dropped around and
asked the physician for q light. He
gave it to him, 1 wouldn't have touched
his cigar, nor would I have allowed him
to have touched one was smoking, for
man Is naturally a careless animal
There is an immense number Of persons
whose business it is to handle poisonous
substances, and in addition to these there
are not a few who accidentally touch
-4ItGS4 u WHICH, d sL4ltil4 JtiEllCI5 VIII ldiuI
a cigar. The most minute specs Of poi
son viii cling to the mOistened part of a
cigar and touched to a chapPed lip may
destroy your comfort and the beauty of
your face for weeks. The drug clerk,
compromising prescriptions in which
there are deadly pOisons, runs out to get
one Of the ingredients at another corner,
and while on the way considers it his
unquestioned privilege under represent
custom to ask you for a light The
chemist, the scientist, the physician and
mechanics employed IN certain kinds of
labor are equally dangerous men to give
or receive a light from. One workman
may have brass dust on his fingers as he
goes home from work, but he doesn't
consider that. 1 will, and hereafter my
cigar will be inviolate."